The 39th Annual Hunger Games
by Bittercat
Summary: Twenty-four tributes. One arena. One voice. One winner. Who will be the last one standing at the end of the Hunger Games?


Day 1: 24 Tributes Remaining

District 1 Female: Ombre Castaldi, 18  
>District 1 Male: Silver Holmes, 15<br>District 2 Female: Renee Jackson, 13  
>District 2 Male: Morgan Colton, 14<br>District 3 Female: Jenna Leone, 12  
>District 3 Male: Jon Copestick, 14<br>District 4 Female: Quinn Dellings, 17  
>District 4 Male: Yoni Becker, 16<br>District 5 Female: Neela Garbo, 12  
>District 5 Male: Wes Cromer, 14<br>District 6 Female: Rosie Sergova, 14  
>District 6 Male: Cope Becker, 16<br>District 7 Female: Cameron Nickel, 12  
>District 7 Male: Reginald Avery, 16<br>District 8 Female: Jane Millard, 18  
>District 8 Male: Cease Roper, 13<br>District 9 Female: Beila Neilsen, 13  
>District 9 Male: Jamie Western, 15<br>District 10 Female: Cardinal Ray, 18  
>District 10 Male: Spark Crane, 17<br>District 11 Female: Eliza Sweetleaf, 14  
>District 11 Male: Sun Jones, 15<br>District 12 Female: Merleen Bernadet, 12  
>District 12 Male: Tap Dane, 16<p>

"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four."

Renee Jackson, District 2, listened as the announcer counted down. The same voice had said the same things at the beginning of every Games. It was strange hearing it up close.  
>She looked at the competitors to her right and left. On her left was a tall, wiry blonde girl with blue eyes. Ombre. An ally from District 1. A career like herself.<br>To her right was the District 10 male. His name had to do with flames. Embers.  
>Renee struggled to calm down. She took a deep breath and looked at the arena.<br>The starting platforms and Cornucopia were all in a huge, seemingly endless meadow. Tall grass and muddy streams coursed around it. There seemed to be a surprisingly large amount of supplies in the horn. She could make out pop-up tents, canopies, fleece blankets, and sleeping bags. All stuff for colder weather.  
>It was blisteringly hot. Renee adjusted her long-sleeved top and her fleece pants, hiking them up. She could see the others doing it too.<br>"One."  
>All of a sudden, the gong was banged. Renee could feel herself being propelled off the Cornucopia. She grabbed one of the items in the back of the horn. A sword, Light. She ran one of her fingers over it. it was dangerously sharp.<br>Renee saw why no one was running for the better items in the back. Right in the middle were heaps of water bottles, filled to the brim.  
>Renee launched herself upon them, shoving them into her pockets. Eyes wild, she scanned the ground beside her. She was ready when someone came up beside her. He died painlessly.<br>Renee grabbed a tent pack and joined the Careers. Morgan was badly wounded. He had been cut across the stomach and was gasping for breath. Ombre, Silver, Quinn, and Yoni were fine.

Silver and Quinn made short work of the other tributes who hadn't run for cover. Quinn was armed with a deadly blade much like Renee's. She was a cruel but efficient killer. Silver preferred torturous pain, leaving his victims screaming for mercy. "It makes them stay out of my way." he would always say.  
>The group of six waited a bit, looking at the bodies. There were nine dead at the Cornucopia. When it was clear that no one was coming back, Yoni and Ombre set out scouting to find a good location to set up camp.<br>A sizable amount of water had been taken, but most of the supplies were left.

Morgan died soon after Yoni and Ombre left. It was a horrible death, long, drawn-out, and painful. Renee did her best to comfort him, but he was too far gone.  
>Quinn turned to Renee with a bitter smile on her lips. "One less."<p>

Yoni and Ombre had found a small wooded area in the middle of the meadow to set up camp. Armed to the teeth, the now-fivesome dragged tent packs, canopies, medical supplies, water, and food to the woods. It was painful work, but in the hot weather, it was excruciating.  
>They arranged the tents around a small shaded cooking area that Ombre had built a spit under.<p>

"What now?" Renee asked.  
>Yoni cracked his knuckles. ''It's noon. We could go find the others, or hunt, or sleep."<br>"Hunting." Silver said. "There's actually not that much food. We could split up."  
>"I agree." Quinn said. "At this rate, the food's not going to last us that long. Yoni, Silver, you with me?"<br>"Yeah." "Sounds good."  
>"We'll need somone to stay and guard the camp. Renee? You up for it?"<br>"I guess." Renee responded. She had been expecting to go out hunting with the others. But she guessed that as the youngest, she would be expected to stay behind and guard.  
>"Good. C'mon, guys. Let's go hunting." Yoni stood up, motioning the others to follow, and dashed away into the underbrush.<p>

It was unbearably hot. Renee sat cross-legged under the canopy, absent-mindedly weaving a few strands of grass into a water bottle cover. The air shimmered from heat.  
>She tried pouring some water on her shirt to cool off, but the water warmed up instantly. There was no use.<br>She wrapped the water bottles in the covers and buried them. The earth was slightly cooler. There was no other way to keep them from heating up.  
>She checked out the food. It was all stews, soups, and different kinds of broths. It was the kind of food that tasted disgusting cold.<br>'Does the Capitol want us to die from heat exhaustion?' she wondered. 'It looks like they're trying pretty hard for that to happen.'  
>She found a few packets of beef jerky and ripped open one. It was chewy and stale. She spat out her mouthful.<br>In a few minutes, Yoni crashed through the underbrush. "Nothing." he panted to Renee. "Nothing at all. Quinn's got heat exhaustion. She fell into a pit, a Gamemaker trap, and nearly collapsed after coming out."  
>Silver had Quinn slung over his shoulders. Quinn's eyes were closed, and her face was bright red. Silver laid her down on the ground.<br>"Quinn. Quinn, can you hear me?" Ombre bent down over Quinn, wiping away a stray lock of Quinn's red hair. She turned over and muttered.  
>"Bring her into the tent." Renee said, watching them haul Quinn into the shadiest one. Renee dug up a bottle and used it to dampen a cloth. She laid it on Quinn's forehead.<p>

Around evening, when the sun started to set, Ombre struck up a campfire and cooked some beans over it. They took turns scooping them out with bare hands, licking their fingers clean. Silver volunteered for first watch, and Yoni went to check up on Quinn.  
>Renee thought it would be easy to go to sleep. The night air was somewhat cooler, and the tene was soft and comfortable.<p>

But that was before she heard the growling.


End file.
